Recent Stories in Restaurant

When I’m not on assignment and can choose a restaurant of my own, I face the same question as everyone else: Where, oh where, to go out to eat?

Here in Seattle, those who know me know I gravitate toward Asian cuisine, which is also what I’m likely preparing if I’m cooking at home. I don’t get bored with it. Like chefs who want a break from all the creamy, complex, and heavy foods, sushi (or, even better, sashimi) would be my first choice—but it’s too expensive (so a rare treat), and I tend to save that appetite for annual visits to Japan.

Chinese food, especially spicy Sichuan, is always a top choice for me. But I’m happy with most any noodle or dumpling, which lands me also in Korean and Vietnamese (and other southeast Asian) restaurants quite a bit. (I would go to more than my two favorite Thai restaurants if I didn’t cook that cuisine at home so often.)

But with quick trips to Chicago, D.C., and Boston these two weeks only allowing me one real meal in each city, I stepped back and thought about how I research restaurants to make the right pick. Urbanspoon and Chowhound are great places to start, and I then utilize any other local resources I can find. When I boil down my world of choices in such cities, I find that it’s offal and other oddities that attract me most. And small plates, so I can sample as much as possible. Such food is often found in gastropubs. (Bonus: A pub means that, as a solo diner, you can comfortably sit at the bar or counter.)

In Seattle, if I meet someone like myself, I typically suggest places like Quinn’s, Spur, Joule, and Harvest Vine for small, interesting bites. And now I’d recommend giving 5 Corner Market Bar & Kitchen a try. It’s located in the old Lombardi’s space in Ballard. Chef Sam Crannell actually worked previously at Quinn’s, and with an extensive beer list, you can expect a great gastropub experience.... (more)

Northwest Lavender Caffe Latte

Down South Lake Union way sits the new-ish Row House Cafe (1170 Republican St.), proud purveyors of illycaffé. They're very pleased with themselves because they have picked up an Artisti del Gusto (Artists of Taste) Award from illy, and they want to share the love.

Tomorrow, February 10, stop by between 2 and 4 p.m., and you can pick up a free "Seattle City Series" coffee drink. One per person, good luck shouldering all the Amazonians out of the way.

"Only 40 cafés in the U.S. have received the award; Row House Cafe is the third in Seattle," we're told. Apparently it's quite a to-do: illycaffè Master Barista Giorgio Milos ("top finisher in the World Barista Championships") is visiting. 

Besides its authentic Italian coffee experience, there's also wine and beer to drink, and the Row House Cafe also serves up comfort food (cheesy grits, grilled cheese sandwiches, mac 'n' cheese) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner--with brunch on the weekends. Yelpers give them a lot of four- and five-star ratings. They also alert you to something different in the way of ambiance: "Walking into this place is like walking into a house; except there is a tree holding up the middle of the house.  Yeah, you heard me, a TREE."

Hours are Monday thru Friday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pop in for happy hour daily, 4 to 7 p.m.

Sometimes I get so obsessed about comparing restaurants that I do crazy things.

Like creating a sushi (financial) spreadsheet.

I did this in comparing the three restaurants that reside in my top tier of favorites in the Seattle area: Kisaku, Shiro’s, and now Sushi Kappo Tamura, in Eastlake. The third is Taichi Kitamura’s new place, following his relocation from Fremont. (The old Kappo space has become Kitamura’s izakaya, called Showa.)

Tamura hits the sweet spot for me in terms of atmosphere. It’s a little more upscale than Kisaku, which is a great neighborhood restaurant, but it’s warmer than Shiro’s, which can feel more formal. It’s a cross between a casual experience and an, “Oh, I’ve gone out to dinner somewhere nice” experience. This especially comes through at the counter—the only place I like to sit at a sushi restaurant—where Kitamura holds court.

Like Ryuichi Nakano at Kisaku, Kitamura is a pleasant guy. He laughs easily, and is a genuine talker as time allows. And a fellow fan of good food.

One thing I especially like about Tamura is its fine selection of ippin dishes.  While we were there primarily for some sushi (this was the second part of our two-part anniversary dinner), I was tempted by many of the small plates. We ordered:

Full Circle Farms mustard greens and Washington albacore tuna with almond wasabi sauce

A gift from the house: daikon and carrot salad with scallop and dried persimmon—an Oshogatsu (New Year) offering

Kinki no yakimono (grilled rockfish)

Kinmedai no netsuke (learn more about this golden-eye snapper dish, include its sex appeal, here)... (more)

After years of swirling rumors, we're pleased to report that Pel'meni is finally opening in Seattle.

I've been waiting patiently after discovering these Russian dumplings in Juneau, then later enjoying them in Bellingham and also Madison, Wisconsin. (The Madison location is now closed). Don't expect a menu. You'll find just a choice of meat or potato dumplings, topped with sour cream, curry, hot sauce and cilantro.

Trust me: They're delicious. The later the hour, the better. Pel'meni plans to stay open until 2 a.m.

Doors open this Friday at 5:00 p.m. You'll find Pel'meni at 3516 Fremont Place North, across from 9 Million in Unmarked Bills.

I’m a bit perplexed about pork right now.

It’s still an incredible ingredient—bacon in the salmon chowder might be the reason that Matt’s in the Market bested Bobby Flay in this week’s Food Network Throwdown. And I wait with bated breath for Seattle's third annual Cochon 555 event, where I’ll be again sitting as a judge while five amazing chefs try to wow us in preparing plates from five heritage pigs.

But that said, pork problems prevailed during two otherwise fine meals I had here in Seattle recently.

The first was at Book Bindery, choice for my birthday dinner. We ordered scallops and sweetbreads as appetizers and enjoyed them both, though I’d argue that the latter should be correctly called “sweetbread,” as there was just one on the plate. The fish entrée was my favorite, as the pan-seared striped bass and its accompaniments were both beautiful and delicious.

But the “duo of pork” yielded mixed results. The pork chop was great, but the pork belly was pure fat. Well, maybe the slightest layer of meat, if I’m to be generous. After the disbelief of my first bite, I had to go in again, and it was the same, so I pushed it aside. As it’s rather dark in the restaurant, I pulled out my low-light camera to capture a shot, which you can see in more detail just above. (The entire plate is at the top of this post.)... (more)

Ahead of National Pie Day tomorrow (funny…we thought it would be on 3.14), a couple of your crack (pie) SunBreak staff checked out the new High 5 Pie on Capitol Hill.

And the neighborhood smells great.

You've been able to get some of these pies at Fuel Coffee and other cafes, but now Dani Cone has opened a dedicated 2,100-square-foot bakery and café to sell her Flipsides, Cutie Pies, Piejars, Piepops, and other handmade treats right at the baking source.

There's some counter seating with lookout to Union and Madison, but we perched at the handcrafted pie-shaped butcher block table--now if the table was also a lazy Susan, that would have been extra cool!--to sample some sweet and savory pies.

My favorite: the caramel pecan petit-5 ($1.50), which is a bite-sized delight. It offers a perfect marriage of crust and filling, whereas the Mile Wide pie ($90, estimated to serve 40 or more people) was heavy on the filling (albeit enjoyable, as it was not too sweet, and not at all syrupy). Added bonus: the option to heat your pie in a convection oven and/or have it a la mode.

Look carefully beyond the sweet petit-5s in the photo above, and you'll see another favorite: the li'l smoky roll-ups. With hot dog, cream cheese and bacon action, they're also known as "squealers," and they're a very recent addition to the menu.... (more)

Early last year, I was dining at the counter of a favorite sushi restaurant with a couple of food writers who were seated to my left. The conversation was pretty passionate, as we were bantering about best and worst places to eat in the Seattle area.

It turns out that a diner immediately to my right was "eavesdropping" on the conversation. (I can't say that I blame him!) As he got up to leave, he gave me his card and said, "If you like bold food, you should come to my restaurant."

The card belonged to Chef Dustin Ronspies of Art of the Table restaurant.

It's taken far too much time for me to file this, but I can report that Ronspies has every right to claim such confidence.

Most people I know have never been to Art of the Table. The majority of them have never even heard of the place. But those who've been give it rave reviews.

Once you discover the restaurant, you might want to keep it a relative secret. There are only about twenty seats in the small dining room, including a number at a communal table, and two that peek into the kitchen.

Thursday through Saturday, Art of the Table is a supper club concept, with one seating at 7 p.m. for a chance to work your way through the chef's tasting menu for the evening. In the Fearless Critic restaurant guide, we called it a locavore experience that's easy on the wallet, or "a trip to Herbfarm—minus the long drive, pomp, and circumstance."

My most recent experience was a "Happy Monday" meal. These are a la carte small plates that are so reasonably priced and good that you might as well order the whole menu anyway. We did. It's great fun at a restaurant to say, "One of everything, please."... (more)

As 2011 gets going, it seems that the burger business is booming.

A few months ago, USA Today asked me to pick a burger restaurant in Washington state for its "Great American Bites" series. This was a difficult challenge, but as I wasn't necessarily charged with selecting the best burger, I opted for an iconic experience in choosing Pick-Quick Drive In (which will soon open a branch in Auburn, the first expansion beyond the Fife location).

Many places talk about the toppings they put on their burgers, so I was interested in trying BuiltBurger's patties, which feature flavors on the inside. Previously available via shipping only (nationwide), owner David Makuen recently decided to open a storefront where the Financial District meets Pioneer Square.

Enter BuiltBurger and you simply walk up to the counter where you'll find the menu on the wall. Plenty of patties for your choosing; with the variety available, I recommend doing a sampling of three LittleBuilt sliders as a way of finding your favorite(s). Mine turned out to be a beef burger mixed with long-braised short-rib (with horseradish aioli and greens), though the Sriracha special had nice bite to it, complemented by refreshing pickled vegetables.

You'll find burgers made with pork, pastrami, chorizo, chicken, lamb, and even a vegetarian option. Based on my burger binging this year, I've come to realize that I ultimately prefer a slightly charred ground beef patty that falls apart in the mouth (as compared, let's say, to pork-filled patties that have a slippery, more sausage-like texture), but BuiltBurger offers good quality and fun variety.... (more)

With nearly everyone writing up Top Ten lists for the year (I'm deliberating whether to do the same), I thought I'd share one of the year's strangest dishes.

Last week, roaming around for noodle research, I made a stop at Bellevue's 101Yess. First off, this might quality for the year's strangest restaurant name, though if you know it's a Taiwanese place and break down the name, you might make sense of it.

I knew what noodle dish I wanted, but I also knew I had to try something on the side. And there it was: "Tasty Canned Sticky Rice." Fortunately, it's not food plopped out a can, though given the catfood-like appearance, it sure looks like it. Instead, it's sauteed sticky rice with pork and black mushrooms that's steamed in a can mold and then topped with "special house sauce."

That's the canned part. Tasty? Maybe more for the mouth than the eyes. Maybe.

Palisade executive chef Chris Bryant popped out to introduce the menu

"While Palisade will always be a great special occasion restaurant," says Seattle Dining!, "the company wants it to be a spot where guests dine regularly--several times a month."

That's a bit of a reinvention, since the tonier Restaurants Unlimited location sits there by the marina at the base of the Magnolia bluffs, looking, with its expansive timbered interior (complete with salt water ponds), like it's about to make you pay through the nose (happily) for stuffing yourself to the gills with Pacific black tiger prawns, Dungeness crab, Maine lobster, New York steak, or Ellensburg rack of lamb. 

So you can imagine our surprise when the SunBreak Lunch Team dropped in at Palisade as guests for a holiday get-together, and discovered something called the Magnolia Lunch that's worth the trip--a three-course lunch for just $15. (There's a First Seating dinner menu that's a prix fixe $29, also three courses.) 

For starters, you have your choice of two salads or the soup of the day. ... (more)

It's been quite a year for Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, the chef duo from Joule, which just celebrated its third anniversary. 2010 started with the couple's appearance on Iron Chef America. In the summer, they had a baby. And now, as the year comes to a close, they have another baby: Revel.

Revel, in Fremont, opens today. Most striking when you enter is the open kitchen and its 24-foot maple cooking station. Whereas at Joule you had to crane your neck while sitting at the counter to check out the cooking action, a counter seat at Revel feels like being right in the kitchen.

And if last night's sneak peek is any indication, you can expect the food at Revel to be just as fabulous as what Yang and Chirchi have been serving up at Joule--which is one of Seattle's top three "Most Delicious" restaurants in the recently released Fearless Critic Seattle Restaurant Guide.

The menu: Asian street food with a non-traditional twist. Look for small sections of Asian pancakes (I enjoyed the one with pork belly, kimchi and bean sprouts), dumplings (the short rib dumpling with shallot and scallion has fantastic flavor, though I wish it had just a slightly chewier wrapper), and rice and noodle dishes.... (more)

Tuesday night The Wing Dome in West Seattle held the first (annual?) 7-Alarm Challenge for Charity. A handful of local media types were invited to attempt to devour wings so hot they can make you cry. Initially, the event was meant to be a team challenge, but most people came alone. I had intended on competing along with my friend Montine, but since most were doing it alone, I quickly deputized her and put her in The SunBreak's seat on stage.

Here she is before the pain started.

The event was 15 minutes of mayhem! In the end, King5's Jesse Jones was named the individual winner with 12 wings eaten and at least as many sweat drenched napkins. Our own Montine downed 9 of the 7-Alarm wings, no small feat for sure. Jesse won a $500 donation to Northwest Harvest in his name!

A lot more photos from the event:... (more)

Chef Kerry Sear and his team at ART Restaurant and Lounge are known for their creative flourishes. The Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum has only given them more reason to play with their plates. I was in recently and enjoyed seeing "A Woman's Face," their cubist dessert with Spanish and fall flavors.

ART is located in the Four Seasons Hotel, conveniently located diagonally across from SAM, making it a perfect place to enjoy the Artist's Palate TV Tray for lunch or the ARTist's Kitchen prix-fixe dinner menu (featuring some of Picasso's most beloved dishes) when you're ready for a museum break. ART will celebrate Picasso with these food specialties through January 17.

There are also two more opportunities (including this Sunday) to partake in Brunch with Seattle Art Museum. $65 gets you a brunch buffet, a presentation in which you'll get first-hand knowledge about the Picasso exhibit from the Seattle Art Museum's co-curators, and then VIP admission to the exhibit.... (more)

As skeptical as I was about going on a food-related trip to Whistler, I was even more skeptical about making a similar trip to Vancouver Island. I’d been to both places about fifteen years ago, but I figured that Whistler had probably evolved more. The Olympics were there, foreigners hung out there on an ongoing basis, and you could drive there from Vancouver. It’s part of Canada, whereas Victoria is, what, part of England? I always told inquirers that it’s a place you only need to see once. Too prim-and-proper. See the Gardens, enjoy the buskers, maybe have tea…but bring some cartons of Chinese food from Vancouver if you want something good to eat.

And then, recently, I got gifted a bottle of balsamic vinegar from Venturi-Shultze, and told that Vancouver Island is a bounty of good food. One sip of the vinegar, and I was already making plans to give Victoria and environs another chance.

And am I glad I did!It’s an easy trip from Seattle. My partner and I planned on the Victoria Clipper outbound and then a return via a Kenmore Air seaplane in order to experience the trip both ways. Three hours on the boat gave me time to review our itinerary, as the eating would begin almost immediately upon arrival. It was a majestic entry into the harbor, and then just a quick (five-minutes or so) walk to the Inn at Laurel Point, our home-away-from-home in Victoria.... (more)

I've been on a bit of a burger binge lately.

Part of the reason: USA Today asked me to pick a best (though not necessarily the best) burger in Washington for a national feature. So I ate a few from around the state, and even sampled what turned out to be the best in our adjoining state of Idaho, and you can find my pick here.

In the midst of this, Kidd Valley asked me to judge their 35th Anniversary Burger Battle. It was a fun event, featuring six local firefighters serving up their specialties in a friendly competition to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Our judging panel picked a clear winner: Mike "Suey" Sulak's Blazin' Flashover Bacon Burger.... (more)

So many in Seattle are atwitter with Canlis' menu contest. And rightly so. In hiding 50 menus in 50 days (Sundays off, generally), Canlis is providing 50 lucky Seattleites the chance to dine (with a guest) at 1950s prices. It's all part of Canlis' 60th birthday celebration.

The contest is brilliant on many levels. First, the clue-giving is a fantastic use of social media. Second, it's intellectually stimulating, as the answers often emerge from riddles, plays-on-words, etc. Related to that, the contest connects Canlis and all the contestants (and that's anyone) to Seattle, teaching a lot about regional history in the process. And finally, it's hip, bringing a new generation of fans into the Canlis fold.

For those not fortunate enough to find a menu, I always say that you can enjoy the splendor of Canlis by enjoying a bite (maybe teriyaki, or dessert and a drink?) in the bar area. Better yet, instead of a $2.75 salmon steak or $3.85 filet mignon from that 1950s menu, see how Canlis has changed by checking out the chef's tasting menu. Here's what Jason Franey is serving up this fall:

Amuse Bouche: Sunchoke soup and white truffle ice cream (this connected to the amazing white truffle menu that I enjoyed the same night)... (more)

Too much time away from Seattle means an admitted lack of local reviews, but here’s a look at some “competition.”

I’m in Philadelphia, where Jose Garces is gathering together a little empire of restaurants. I went to two of his seven properties: Chifa and Distrito.

Recall that Garces took on Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi of Joule in his debut battle on Iron Chef America. Like others in attendance at the viewing party, I thought Garces got gifted a victory, as his food look less inspired than that of the Joule chefs.

My visit to Chifa confirmed my doubts. This Asian-influenced tapas place features Peruvian and Cantonese flavors, but lacked the boldness I was seeking and enjoy at Joule. For example, the highly acclaimed pork belly bao buns suffered a bit, primarily because the buns overpowered the meat. Maybe I just prefer a simpler bun, like Momofuku’s or the one I had at Joule, in a dish they did for me that’s featured in the current issue of Edible Seattle.

The crab empanada and marlin tataki were uninspiring. I did find the chicharrones with crispy pork and green curried lentils interesting, and my favorite dish was the Chinese water spinach with ginger-soy glazed snap peas, enoki mushrooms, and fennel—perhaps the “purest” dish of the bunch with less force of fusion.... (more)

The first thing about La Bête is to be clear where on Capitol Hill it actually is. It turns out to be down around where The Saint is, but around the corner on Bellevue. It's a decent-sized spot, able to crowd in a good amount of brunch-goers; brunch on the weekend begins at 10:30 a.m. Coffee comes in French presses. The food and drinks are the work of Tyler Moritz and Aleks Dimitrijevic, with cocktails and wines by the glass generally ranging from $8-$10. We were looking for a brunch spot suitable for an editorial meeting, and this fit the bill nicely--it was never too loud, even when full. Read on for thumbnail reviews of brunch options.... (more)

South Lake Union is the scene of Chef Christine Keff’s relocated Flying Fish restaurant. I went in for a tasting menu experience, expecting a series of small bites, but was blown away by a big, welcoming platter of crabs. Keff explained that she loves to serve such platters (which can also be sizzling Gulf shrimp by the half-pound or a whole fried rockfish) because they immediately break down barriers at the table. She smiled saying that she enjoys seeing business workers or people on dates “getting their hands in the food, getting dirty.”

Two of us dug into two pounds of salt and pepper Dungeness crabs, accompanied by comforting sesame noodles and fresh, crunchy bites of carrot daikon salad. It was indeed fun to crack open the crab to extract the succulent morsels of meat within. There’s a nuoc mam-like dipping sauce, but we agreed with those who prompted Keff’s comment that some people find the sauce overpowering. The salt and pepper (with slight bite, leading me to believe that it’s Szechuan pepper) provided the perfect amount of seasoning for the sweet crab.... (more)

When I heard that Jacob Wiegner, the former sous chef at Olivar, had opened a place called Blackboard Bistro in West Seattle, I had a hunch it would be good. And a desire to quickly head over for lunch.

Yes, the menu is written up on blackboards. On those blackboards, I liked the humor with which the required health department warning is delivered: “Raw or undercooked food may make you sick. Or even kill you. But so could crossing the street.” What I really liked, though, was the chance to do a tasting menu, sort of like an American omakase. You name your price, and Wiegner sends out dishes of his choosing. It’s a great value and a chance for variety; $30 buys you a feast of small plates. Figure on $5 per plate, with one plate likely to be something not found on the menu.

Note that the menu is seasonal and always subject to change. Some of the dishes I sampled recently are no longer available.

But given the consistency of the quality, that’s okay, as you’ll find new favorites. I liked everything I tasted, appreciating some bold flavors and some tastes and techniques from around the world. My only minor gripe is that I felt a bit bloated afterward; given the richness of the dishes, I think Wiegner can back off the fat just a little. (I’ve recommended Blackboard Bistro to others, who raved about their meals but had this same issue.)... (more)

Today may be the last day of summer, but fall is a fine season for taking culinary-related trips outside of Seattle. Having previously reported on an "Escape from Seattle" to Whistler, it's now time to head south to Portland and then loop up through parts of central Washington to discover good eats (and drinks), as I did this past summer.

Let's start with Portland. You're probably thinking: Oh, not another article about how Portland's food is better than Seattle's. Maybe not better, but different. And when traveling, aren’t we usually looking for something different? I'll offer a few examples, but by no means an exhaustive list.

Portland's got a different food vibe than Seattle. As local food writer Lorna Yee recently remarked about Portland in a SunBreak interview, "the food is a little gutsier, and the scene a little grittier."

The dining spaces are certainly different. It seems Portland chefs and restaurateurs are more creative with their kitchens and dining rooms, as you can eat at carts, strip clubs, and converted industrial spaces. There's the usual glitz and glamor of downtown eateries, but in general, I find the better eats to be on the east side of the Willamette River. (Even if you take the train to Portland—a fun way to travel—you can easily head east by bus and foot. I've done it, and you get to discover more of the city this way.)... (more)

While we were down in Columbia City the other day visiting the Columbia City Theater, we stopped in for lunch at Geraldine's Counter and had a bowl of three-meat chili ($6.95) that it took some digging to reach the bottom of. After a quick conference, The SunBreak Breakfast Team moved Geraldine's up to the top of our breakfast hit list.

Geraldine's Counter (4872 Rainier Avenue South) is right around the corner from a lot on South Ferdinand Street full of 2-hour parking spots that cost exactly $1. (It's also, I will estimate, a 7-minute walk from the Columbia City light rail station.) That's almost thrill enough, but the ambiance of the place--booths to your right as you walk in, light pouring over tables set next to windows on your left, and just in front, the eponymous counter seating--exceeds expectations.

The place is rated highly by the Surly Gourmand, which makes sense because our lunchtime waiter, if not surly, must have made some crotchety vow of silence. There was never any warning or explanation for the fact that two bowls of chili, a cup of tomato soup, and three-cheese sandwich ($6.50: cheddar, Havarti, gruyère) ) took over half an hour to arrive. (In some circles, half an hour is lunch.)

Everything is better with breakfast, though, and that included our service. I asked the waitress for help deciding between the biscuits and gravy ($9.50) and corned beef hash ($8.75), and she gave it real thought--it's a dilemma!--and said hash. I will have to return for biscuits and gravy to be sure, but they serve up a mighty plate of corned beef hash.... (more)

On the heels of our burger shack survey, the SunBreak Burger Team decided to visit The Counter in Ballard (4609 14th Ave NW), which is, as you know, "the 21st century’s bold answer to the classic burger joint." It turned out to be an oddly taxing experience, not least because two burgers, two fries, a malt and a soda came to over $34.

But first we were confronted by the "Build Your Own Burger" menu, which would make Barry Schwartz scream, "Have you learned nothing from my work?" Essentially, you walk in and are presented with a pop quiz for your stomach. Not only are there 17 million combinations to choose from, but some are "free," and some are priced like extra toppings on your pizza ($0.50 to $1.00 per).

The smallest burger size is one-third of a pound of Angus beef, antibiotic- and hormone-free. ("Weights AFTER cooking," the menu tells you proudly.) That sets you back $8.25 before you've added anything at all. 1/3-lb. ground beef! Does anyone else remember when the quarter-pounder was a large? The result is a burger you have to slice in half just to get your hands around a manageable piece. (Later I felt like a python that swallowed a deep-fried goat that had just sucked down a shake.)... (more)

We visited Cafe Flora (29th & Madison) earlier this year to try out their breakfast menu; this time they invited us down to see the backyard patio and sample options from their cocktail menu (pdf). Click through the gallery for glimpses of vegetarian and vegan takes on cocktail hour.

Cafe Flora opened in 1991, the year I moved to Seattle, though the two events are largely unrelated. I do remember my first meal there, and the thrill that came with eating vegetarian fare that wasn't trying to taste like a meat dish. Everything celebrated precisely what was on your plate.

Now there's a new(ish) owner, Nat Stratton-Clarke, who started five years ago as a buyer, became general manager, and then took over the reins completely when founding owner David Foecke wanted to move on. So while Café Flora lives on, new approaches to menus and décor are being tried out.

To go with the cocktails, there's a Happy Hour: Monday through Friday, from 3-6 p.m., they offer select beers at $2.50, wines at $5, and a daily cocktail at $5. For the ultimate escape from a hectic day, make tracks for the back patio, and try the intensive garden immersion therapy it provides.

Tillamook’s Loaf Love tour is making a stop in Seattle, and the welcome party is at Capitol Hill's Po Dog (1009 East Union Street), purveyors of fine hot doggery and dog-related accoutrement. Here is everything you need to know wrapped up in a tidy cheese package:

For one hour only–5 p.m. to 6 p.m.-on August 5th, 2010, Po Dog restaurant, Capitol Hill location, will offer free Tillamook-themed hot dogs, "The Mac & Tillamook Cheese Dog," in celebration of Tillamook’s Loaf Love Tour, the first ever cheese tour comprised of three refurbished VW buses designed to look like baby loafs of cheese, arriving in Seattle and rolling around until August 16th. In addition to free hot dogs, the Loaf Love Tour will be handing out free cheese samples, coupons, buttons & more to help spread the love of tasty cheese to the people.

We couldn't make this stuff up. Further details: The VW buses are 1966 vintage, and cheese is delicious. You can probably still eat it even if you are lactose intolerant. Tillamook is a cooperative. They're 101 years old. They also make ice cream and butter. But their cheddar is what gets you. You probably don't realize how good you have it, cheddar-wise. You can eat too much cheese, I'm told. Moderation in all things, even the extra sharp.